THE Gray River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1568, 14 August 1873, Page 2

THE Gray River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1873.

It is seldom, among the turmoil of politics, and the urgency of other local matters, that time can be found ifor directing attention to those peaceful agricultural pursuits which are now becoming a very extensive and important interest in the Grey District. The arnual ploughing match is always looked forward to as a local incident of much importance, and, so far as the material prosperity of the district is concerned, is more so than the news of a successful crushing at the mines ; although a combination of both events is highly satisfactory. We learn that the farmers throughout the Grey Valley have, during this week, made a commencement with their early spring operations. Ploughing is now going on, and preparations are being . made for sowing seed, and it is expected that if the annual ploughing match comes toff this season — of which there is some doubt — it will take place earlier than usual. The ground is in a better condition than on any former occasion, owing to the fine dry winter we have had, so that it will be a pity if, as it is hinted, anything should . prevent the yearly agricultural fete occurring. After the race meeting, the ploughing match is the gathering for outdoor amusement, from which the greatest pleasure is anticipated. The quantity of new land cleared and to be broken up in the Grey Valley is veiy much in excess of the acreage ready for the plough last season, while in other parts of the district, the Haupari especially, the quantity is largely increased. A recent correspondent of the Argus, in drawing a comparison between the system of farming pursued in the old country and that adopted by the 1 farmers in this district, was not very complimentary to our style of husbandry. Aftor a learned disquisition upon the relative chemical constituents of the soil, in which by the way, he made no mention of having a knowledge of the "wooden boulders " which are in such quantities and " exist " so persistently in our local soils, he considered that the comparative failure of agriculture here was the absence of any recognised system of rotation in cropping the land, ffe certainly gave most elaborate and scientific directions as to the best rotative plan to be followed, and if the farmers don't profit by his instructions it is not for want of telling. His opinion is to a great extent endorsed by a well known writer on agricultural matters in a Southern paper, who says, " That he is fully convinced that if agriculture is to flourish the soil must be made to give its increase by the intelligent use of manures, and by a system of alternate husbandry, when double the crops will be produced from the same land with less labor, leaving the remainder to produce what it will, until it can be brought under a rational system of farming. The same authority argues that hy paying attention to proper manuring not only a better and more nutritious sample of grain, will be produced, but the live stock will be improved in a like degree, and no doubt

with a corresponding influence upon the physical health and development of the population. The use of artificial manures has not yet become genaral among the farmers in the Grey Valley, although in some localities it has long ago become absolutely necessary. As many as five crops of oats, either for grain or chaff, have been taken offpatches of land without a pretence of giving the soil rest or assistance, and it is therefore no wonder it is giving out and getting exhausted. The system of shallow ploughing is also one of the objectionabie features in our tillage, and one which at once arrests the attention of strangers, first paying a visit to our farming districts. This system of shallow ploughing has, to a certain extent, been encouraged by the judges at all our previous ploughing matches on Totara Flat, who have apparently sacrificed depth and solidity to mere surface scratching and fine straight mathematical lines. Hear what the best recognised authority says in his " Gospel of Agriculture" on the subject :—" How long oh shallow ploughers will it take to teach you the lesson that one acre deep ploughed and well cultivated will produce nearly double what two acres will, shallow ploughed and neglected? Farmers, plough deep, subsoil, go twice in a furrow, thoroughly mix. and incorporate your manure with the soil, use the harrow, keep the soil completely and continually stirred and pulverised, and you shall reap such a reward as shallow, ploughers have never dreamed of." Even making allowance for the small average depth of the soil on the land in the Grey Valley, and paying due regard to the general proximity of the before-men-tioned wooden bouldera to the surface, the plan of shallow ploughing is far too generally adopted to give beneficial results. Last seaaon Mr David Donald, of Totara Flat, made an experiment in hop-grow-ing, which, although not on an extensive scale, showed at all events that the plant would flourish luxuriantly in our soil and climate. Aa far south as Dnnedin a similar experiment has been made successfully, so that it may be reasonably expected in course of time the hop vine may take the place of our staple crop of " oats for chaff." The cultivation of hops has for years been a flourishing industry in the neighboring Colony of Tasmania, while in the Provinces of Nelson and Marlborough it has become a settled branch of farming, yielding profitable returns to those who devote their attention lo it, and there is no reason why our farmers should not profit by the example and experiences of those of the same calling in those places. In speaking of the potato crop of last season in Marlborough, the Express records a splendid yield of the tuber, when set among hop plants. It states that on one of the Messrs Redwood's farms, potatoes were planted between the hop vines, and such a crop was produced as seldom gladdens the eyes of the potato grower. From a single acre of land twenty tons of potatoes were lifted. Well might the astonished editor gaze in rapturous amazement at the "prospect" before him and his country, for one of these natives of his province, and an average one, weighed 31b 3oz, and measured 20 xl 4 inches in girth. If potatoes like these grow among the hop plants of our neighbors, why shouldn't hop plants be grown among such potatoes here 1 Our farmera might take the hint and improve on it.

The Greymouth Chapetr of Royal Arch. Masons, under the English Cnstitution, was inaugurated, at the Masonic Ball, on Wednesday afternoon. Companions Lazar, Bevan, Hudson, Eisfelder, of Hokitika, conducted the ceremony, which was performed in a most impressive manner. After the consecration and dedication, a number of the brethren were exalted to the degree, and Companions .B. Ancher installed Z, Kerr H, and Blackmore J, of the Greymouth Chapter for 12 months. The Companions then adjourned to the Union Hotel, where refreshments were provided, and after spending a pleasant evening, separated at 12 o'clock. A concert in aid of St. Mary's School, Ahaura, is to be given at Maori Gully on Friday, the 22nd inst., and at Maori Creek on the following evening, when it is to be hoped the residents in these localities will give their most liberal support. The Committee appointed on behalf of the Brunner Railway Strike Union met on Wednesday evening, at the Rising Sun Hotel, and after a statement of what had been done since last meeting, came to a resolution to canvass the town for subscriptions for the support of the movement on foot. The Subcommittee that had been appoirted to look after the wants of the men stated that a determination seemed general to hold out till their terms were acceeded to. The Committee are confident that the men will be enabled to maintain their position, as subscriptions are coming forward freely and they have promises of assistance from all classes It is a pity that this disagreement should continue, as so much valuable time has now been lost and will no doubt continue to be in the present state of affairs. A sitting of the District Court was held on Wednesday morning. The only case was the adjourned matter in re James Hayes. He did not appear, and the bailiff had not ; succeeded in arresting him. We have been I requested, in order not to assist in defeating j the ends of justice, to withhold our report J of the proceedings in the*case until our next, i The Court sits again this morning at ten o'clock. A little boy, the son of Mr Hoskyns, narrowly escaped being drowned in the surf on Tuesday, nearly opposite the Montezuma Hotel, Hokitika. The child got into the surf and was seen by his mother, who ran in and seized hold of him, but in her turn was overpowered by the breakers and unable to get out. But for the assistance of Mr Oliver, who rescued them with some difficulty and danger to himself, both Mrs Hoskyns and the child would doubtless have been drowned. A typographical error occurred in ou telegrams on Wednesday regarding the result of the crushing of the Anderson's Company, at Inangahua. Instead of SOOOoz it ought to have been suooz of retorted gold. We notice that "Professor Louis, lately a member of Chiarini's Circus Troupe, and a reputed swordsman of much ability, will give an entertainment here in a few days. Mr Robert Searight, Mho was recently severely hurt while falling a tree on the Omotumotu road, died in the Hospital on Tuesday night. He was very highly respected, and leaves a wife and two children. The meeting of the County Council, which should have been held on Tuesday evening, lapsed for want of a quorum. • The following are the details of the unfortunate case of drowning at Hokitika. which we briefly mentioned on Wednesday. The Times says : — "A man named James Morris, a ship's carpenter, was drowned on Tuesday afternoon while crossing the Hokitika River to the South Spit. There was a strong current running at the time, and he

rowed his boat so near the , channel that he was swept into the break, and there the boat was upset. A milkman named Harry Smith was coming over in his dingy to the Hokitika side, and, seeing the danger Morris was in, he hastened to rescue the drowning man, and would have very probably succeeded, but at the moment that Smith reached him the boat struck Morris on the head and he sank. Smith was by this time himself in danger of being capsized, as he was right against the breakers, and those who were watching from the shore were calculating the chances of the Titan, then coining in through the channel, reaching him in time, when the little dingy was lifted on the top of a big wave and cast on the North Spit. Immediately a rush was made by the lookers-on, and the boat was prevented from being carried back with the receding wave. Captain Nolan, of the Lioness, and some volunteers put off from the steps in a boat and made an attempt to reach Morris, but he had gone over the bar before they could get near the scene of the accident. In less tban two hours afterwards the body of Morris was washed ashore near Martyn's right-of-way. There was a large wound on the head, where the poor fellow was struck by the boat, and by which he was in all probability killed at once." An Auckland paper says : — "Letters which we have received from Ontario, Canada, show that several families in that State are contemplating removal to New Zealand, We extract the following from a letter dated in April last;— 'A number of my friends desire me to write to you, asking you to be kind enough to send three or four of your leading weekly papers, namely, your WeeMy News, and the Christchurch and Dunedin papers. My friends are mostly farmers with capital. Their object is to buy land and farm it, if such can be done to advantage. The reason they are dissatisfied with ; Canada is the extreme length and severity of the winters. There is not less today than four feet of snow on the level, and it takes nearly all that can be made from the cows in the summer to feed them during the winter."' Mr Brookfield, in the Supreme Court at Auckland the other day, cited a case in which a man was convicted of larceny: for keeping L 2, given to him by mistake in excess by a clerk of the Post Office, while changing a Post Office order. Mr Mallock, of Christchurch, has purchased the well-known mare Gossip, by Traducer, out of Backbiter's dam, from iMr Webb, and has put her into training with the latter for the Metropolitan meeting. The amount realised from the sale of land in the Southland district during the quarter ended on the 30th June last, was L 61.208 6s. According to the Record, the Archbishop of Canterbury has under his consideration a Bill to regulate the orders conferred by Colonial bishops. . , The largest casting ever yet achieved in Wellington was successfully performed lately at Mr E. W. Mills' Foundry, in presence of a large, number of spectators. The article cast was a new screw for the Ladybird, weighing very nearly two tons. The Independent reports that in Parliament on Friday last,' Mr Rolleston asked the Government whether they proposed to introduce a Bill to regulate the importation of s^ock ? Mr Yogel understood that the decision of the House on the Bill on the subject, already brought down, had been that it should be left with the local authorities to initiate a quarantine system. He would read to (the House a letter on the subject, which he had received that day .from Mr Maitland, the Chief Secretary of Queensland He informed the New Zealand Government that, owing to their having failed to carry the former Bill, Queensland would find it necessary to prohibit the importation of stock from New Zealand, as, otherwise, the prohibition on the importation of stock from Europe would be systematically evaded. New South Wales and South Australia would pursue the same course. A motion, Mr Yogel said, was. on the paper for the appointment of a Select Committee on the question. The Government would be happy £o support it, knd to afford all assistance in their power to the Committee.

The^ system of nominated immigration is assuming large proportions in Canterbury. The Press says that up to the closing of jthe last^ mail applications were received at the Christchurch office for 494 nominated immigrants, equal to 403 statute adnlts. Cash to the amount of L 1262 has been deposited by the nominators, aud bills for L 66 have been given. These numbers do not include the rimatu nominations, which will probably make up a total of nearly 60Q souls nominated in the province of Canterbury during the past four weeks. There has been a great raid lately on several publicans in Christchurca for serving during, prohibited hours, and they have been mulcted in the usual sum of L 5. Regarding tin's a correspondent writes : — This of course is all bunkum, for of course the thing could be done any day in nine-tenths of the houses in town ; but i 1 ; looks well, and speaks volumes for the efficiency of the police. The product of the Dunedin still is highly appreciated here . A great joke— although nearly played outhas been to try and catch a publican, barman or barmaid tripping in the following way : — Two or more would 'go into a bar, and one would ask the other what he was going to have. The other would lock very hard at the servist, and inquire very seriously if he, or she, or it had any good Dunedin whisky. Should the answer happen to be " Oh yes, sir, "it was a signal for the bibulous parties in question to decamp forthwith, and to seek fresh fields and pastures new. The fact is the whisky wants keeping— a good judge told me so. Labor-saving implements are coming into general favor in the northern district of Otago. Besides the two and three furrow ploughs, which are largely manufactured by the firms of Messrs Reid and Gray, and j. GgilvJe, of Oamaru, there has lately been turned out by the latter a six-furrow plough, similar in construction to one which we some time ago saw in operation on the farm of Messrs Gifford and Clowes. Drawn by a •team of ten bullocks it made excellent and substantial work, at a cost below any other .plough we know of. There will, we understand, be a large area of land brought into cultivation this season in the Oamara district. According to Tvollope, says the Queenslander, bush life is made up of salted provisions, bad grog, unbounded hospitality, and patent medicines. We deal with the latter at present — A party in Brisbane are advertising for empty bottles. They had a customer last week. He brought in three casks full of bottles, every one of which had been filled with some elixir or other, every one had been paid for by him, and the contents promptly swallowed by his devoted family, who, the customer stated, are all alive— monuments of perseverance and the capacity of human beings for swallowing nastiness. .